Former Karnataka Minister B. Nagendra has been granted conditional bail by the Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board scam case. Nagendra has alleged that the ED harassed him during his three-month custody, and claims that the BJP is behind the conspiracy to destabilise elected governments. He also denies any involvement in the scam and maintains that the SIT found no evidence against him. Despite the delay in completing technical formalities, Nagendra has been released from the Bengaluru Central Prison and vows to ensure BJP's defeat in the upcoming Assembly bypolls.
The Mumbai Police have arrested two accused in connection with the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The families of the accused, Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap, claim to have been unaware of their sons' activities and have had no contact with them recently. Gurmail's grandmother also revealed that he had been released on bail after being imprisoned for a murder case and had not been in contact with the family since.
The Supreme Court has reserved its order on Thursday (September 5, 2024) regarding the petitions filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail and quashing of arrest in the CBI case related to the Excise policy scam. Arguments were heard by the bench from both sides, with Kejriwal stating that the CBI did not arrest him for two years after the ED registered the case. Senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi also mentioned that no notice was served to Kejriwal before the arrest was made.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the CBI and ED cases against him for his alleged role in the Delhi excise policy matter. The court noted the extensive delays and the unlikelihood of a speedy trial, in addition to the fact that Sisodia has been incarcerated for around 17 months. It found no error in the judgments of the trial court and Delhi High Court, but disagreed with their assessment that Sisodia was responsible for the delay.
In a major victory for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the ongoing money laundering case. The AAP leaders have celebrated the decision as a blow to the BJP's allegations of a liquor scam, with party member Sandeep Pathak stating that there has been no evidence of any wrongdoing on their part. However, the BJP has stated that bail does not absolve Kejriwal of his alleged crimes and that the apex court has raised doubts about his suitability to hold the Chief Minister's position.
A man has been accused of uploading obscene deepfake videos of actor Amitabh Bachchan and other celebrities on social media to promote various products. The Ayurveda firm owner's anticipatory bail was rejected by the court, much to the relief of outraged fans all over the globe as such videos hamper the reputation of movie stars, while also helping spread fake news via social media.
An Ayurveda medicine firm owner from Rishikesh, named Abhijit Patil, had filed an anticipatory bail application after a complaint was registered against him for promoting products related to sexual health through deepfake videos of actor Amitabh Bachchan. Police argued that granting bail would embolden cyber criminals and hinder the investigation. The judge dismissed the plea, stating that the accused had damaged Bachchan's reputation globally.
The Delhi High Court has asked for the Central Bureau of Investigation's stand on Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in connection with a corruption case. The court listed the matter for hearing on July 17 and also noted that the petition may be considered at the time of arguments. Kejriwal's lawyer argued that he should be granted bail as there is no possibility of flight risk, non-cooperation, or influencing witnesses. However, the CBI argued that a writ petition filed by Kejriwal challenging his arrest and three-day remand is already listed for hearing on the same date. The court also questioned why Kejriwal had not filed a bail plea before the trial court.
Hemant Soren, the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has been granted bail in the land scam case by the Jharkhand High Court. The court declared that there was no prima facie evidence to prove Soren's guilt and that the possibility of him committing a similar offence while on bail was unlikely. Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of fraudulently acquiring land in Ranchi. His party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, sees his release as a major relief ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a plea challenging the bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged money laundering case. Kejriwal's lawyer argued that the ED had no evidence against him and that the case rested on statements from tainted individuals who turned approver. The court denied the ED's request for additional time to challenge the bail, leading to Kejriwal's expected release from Tihar Jail.